Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Cashew Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Cold lettuce around warm cashew chicken makes a very inviting handful, with plenty of crunch in the filling. The savory sauce has ginger and a little heat behind it. Spoon some into a leaf, add green onion and enjoy the contrast between crisp lettuce and saucy chicken.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Total
- 20 min
- Original yield
- Serves 5
- Ingredients
- 15 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Appetizers · Appetizers & snacks · Main course
- Primary protein
- Chicken
- Cuisine
- Chinese · Asian
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 30 minutes or less
A few quick notes
1. Stir the sauce together first
Combine broth, soy sauce, ginger, hoisin, vinegar and cornstarch before cooking chicken so it's ready for the skillet.
2. Cook chicken through before sauce
Brown the seasoned chicken pieces until cooked through, flipping once, before adding garlic and lowering heat for sauce.
3. Save a handful of green onion
Stir most chopped green onion into the filling, keeping a generous handful for the final garnish.
Get to know the ingredients
Small chicken pieces
Cut boneless skinless breasts into small pieces before seasoning and cooking them in the hot skillet.
Unsalted cashews
Use the unsalted cashews listed, stirring them in after the sauce thickens and hot sauce is adjusted to taste.
Lettuce choices
Romaine, bibb or butter lettuce are listed for the cold cups that hold the warm chicken filling.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 5. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 6 steps completeMake room for Cashew Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Fill cold lettuce cups
Serve the saucy cashew chicken in cold lettuce cups and top with the reserved chopped green onions if desired.
A little more help as you go
Adjust Sriracha to taste
Add Sriracha after the sauce thickens, using the amount that suits your preferred heat before cashews join.
Oil alternatives are allowed
Sesame oil is listed, with canola oil included as an alternative for cooking the seasoned chicken.
A few questions you might have
Do I toast the cashews separately?
The directions stir cashews directly into the thickened filling; no separate cashew-toasting step is included.
Does cornstarch go straight into the hot pan?
Mix it with the other sauce ingredients in the small bowl first, then add that combined sauce on low heat.
When does garlic cook?
Add minced garlic after chicken is cooked through, cook briefly, then reduce heat and add the prepared sauce.
Is the ginger grated or sliced?
Freshly grated ginger is specified for stirring into the sauce bowl with broth, soy sauce and the other ingredients.
Should I warm the lettuce before filling?
The serving direction uses cold lettuce cups, giving a cool, crisp wrapper for the warm chicken mixture.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: tastesbetterfromscratch.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
